Ok, guys, here it finally is! Sorry about the delay, it's been a busy I week. I promise that one day these reviews will start going up on Wednesdays. Really, it's gonna happen. I mean, don't hold your breath or anything just in case, but you can like...uh...drink less soda until it happens? Look, I'm helping the world get healthy! Ok, enough of this, let's talk about another stellar episode of Animal Kingdom.
Keys to the Kingdom
Last week, we attended a wake. Not terribly sad, though, as we had no idea who he was at first. We learned a bit about Smurf's history, and that Manny (the dead guy) was instrumental in helping her become the person she is today. We also learned about Javi, who has taken over Manny's operation and has negative feelings towards Smurf. After the wake, Smurf and J got uncomfortably close (which may be a recurring thing if a comment this week means anything) and also robbed a diner together. Classic Grandson/Grandma bonding.
Meanwhile, Baz was in Mexico gathering a few items for the heist at the megachurch. Once back in the States, he ran into his first Smurf roadblock with a sketchy art dealer(ba dum. tss.)/rug dealer/I'm not really sure, what she is, but I desperately needed to get that pun in. However, she refused to do business with him because of Smurf. Cue angry Baz.
Deran and Craig worked on redecorating/remodeling Deran's new bar, and also managed to secure a liquor license. Score! Less of a score was Craig still not breaking up with Nicky.
Pope spent most of his time taking care of Lena (because someone really needs to) and getting close with Amy, his church-going, bible-studying girlfriend. I think we're ok to call her a girlfriend. Girlfriend also revealed that she almost killed her son while she was driving drunk and had turned to church to seek forgiveness. Pope knows all about trying to seek out forgiveness, since, you'll remember, he viciously suffocated Baz's wife, Catherine.
This Week's Prey
Starting off our week, we are treated to an ominous opening. Smurf is asleep peacefully until she is awoken by a bump in the night. She's apparently a very light sleeper, I had to watch it a second time before I understood what woke her up to begin with. Likely suspecting that Javi is coming to kill her, she sneaks through her house with a gun, only to discover that J had simply slipped away through his window. As Smurf ends a phone call about a potential burglary at one of her warehouses (Because Baz tried to get in with the old codes), J returns from a morning jog. Smurf asks where he went so early in the morning, then purposely talks to Nicky about her and Craig, saying that he doesn't have to sneak through windows when he comes over. J is clearly displeased with the conversation, which is even more apparent when J and Nicky try to small talk alone before Nicky leaves with Craig.
As Deran prepares for the opening of his bar, Craig and Nicky stop by. Deran is adamant that Nicky cannot be at the bar because he doesn't want to get shut down. He's actually trying to earn money legally for once! Before she leaves, Nicky gets to watch Craig watch the new bartender walk by, opening Nicky up for some self-confidence issues. This leads to some girl talk between Smurf and Nicky, during which Nicky spills the beans about Deran's bar. Note: Don't tell Nicky secrets. Smurf brushes over this expertly, then gives Nicky advice on using her womanhood against men to ensure she always has the power, and that she gets everything she wants.
We find Pope at a men's store searching for a nice shirt he can wear on his first date with Amy, and he has no idea what he's doing. He kind of reminded me of a lost puppy. Well, a lost puppy who recently murdered somebody. An employee comes to help him out, and suggests a nice Lavender shirt for him. As he checks it out in the mirror, Baz calls to complain about Smurf changing the codes.
Speaking of Baz complaining, we later find him and J gathering parts to set up a practice air-duct for their church heist as Baz has a mini fit about having to send Smurf some more clothes for Lena instead of Smurf just washing the clothes she has already. Apparently, she's being raised by grandma now because, you know, classic Baz. He also shows little interest when J tells him that Lena has been having nightmares. While they set up, J mentions the diner job he and Smurf pulled and insists that he's ready to actually do something besides lookout for this heist. Big surprise, Baz dismisses him. They pull up to their practice location to find only Pope, and they're followed quickly behind Craig, who has just come from spreading the word about the bar opening. Deran decides not to show up and instead plans to tell Smurf about the bar (which she already knows about thanks to Nicky). Deran's absence peeves Baz, but J is quick to hop in and take his place and prove he's ready. Craig and J sweat it out inside the fake air ducts to see how long they can last, which ends with Craig kicking his way out and storming away. Baz finds Deran later and confronts him about his absence at the meeting, and Deran tells him about his new bar, surprising Baz. Ultimately, Deran simply drives away from him. Baz stops by Smurf with Lena's clothes. Not to be a good father, but to ask Smurf for the new codes, which she obviously doesn't give him. Their conversation ends with Smurf telling Baz that the boys hate him more than they hate her because he is just another version of her.
Pope and Amy have their first date at a lovely Mexican restaurant, where they both have no idea how to respond to each other without being awkward. But it's the adorable kind of awkward, so it's ok. When they leave the restaurant, Pope literally asks her, "How do you live with yourself?" He doesn't pick up on how awful that sounds at first, but he quickly explains that he's done things that he's trying to forgive himself for, and also confesses to being in prison. This prompts a kiss, because that's the way this relationship works. Pope's eyes are wide open at first, but he quickly shuts them and we see him clearly enjoying this moment. She then tells him "You can tell me anything." She should be careful with that. I don't think she's ready.
J and Smurf meet up outside of an apartment building where she tosses his phone into a fountain and gives him new one. She then takes him through one of the apartments (which she apparently owns) and explains all the ways she launders money and makes everything they own look legal. She's a smart one. The conversation ends with Smurf offering J the job of balancing their books, saying that none of the other boys ever had the brains to handle the job. He eagerly accepts the responsibility. We even see him learning Quicken later as he and Nicky are left to babysit Lena. He's an ambitious future crime lord.
Baz, determined to prove Smurf wrong, calls Pope, Craig, and Deran to a meeting where he brings up all the different buildings and such they've jumped off of into water. They all have good look at Pope's purple shirt, and only makes things worse for himself when he tells them it's lavender. Baz then points them to a crane that they're all going to jump off of into the ocean, because it's good bonding I guess.
Smurf heads out to the bar opening later and is followed by a plumbing van along the way. Once again, her paranoia sets in and she's sure the van means trouble. She reaches and gets her gun ready in case the worst happens, but, alas, there was no confrontation.
At the bar, opening night fills up, and by the time Baz gets there the party is poppin! Deran, Baz and Pope do a few shots and wonder where Craig is. Soon after Smurf shows up and gives Deran some praise for his bar. Pope quickly decides it's time to head out, but not before asking Baz if he ever plans on seeing Lena again. Baz answers, "What kind of question is that?" To which I would respond, "A question you didn't answer because you know you're awful." Smurf makes her way over to Baz to make small talk. Oh, and tell him that the relationship he's fixed with his brothers won't last. He lets her know they're never working for her again, to which she replies, "I didn't ask." Deran then finds out where Craig has been hiding: In the men's bathroom in a stall with a woman and her brother doing drugs. Did we really expect him to be anywhere else though? Deran reprimands him, and he responds by bringing a girl into the back and having lots of sex all over the place. Everything back there should probably be washed thoroughly before being used again.
Back at Smurf's house, J is helping his ex-girlfriend with some homework, and it seems as though a rekindling is in their future (like I said a couple episodes ago). She thanks him for being so nice to her, and they talk about how her dad probably actually does care about her (which is why he let her stay there instead of move to Guam with him, though she seems to think he had no choice in that matter). J even starts to go make a plate of microwave nachos for the two of them, until Nicky does a Nicky thing. Craig, who you'll recall is just finishing up a pretty intense bone session, hit Nicky up and tells her to come by the bar. She asks about Deran's rule that prohibits her from going to the bar, but Craig says it doesn't matter, so she pops in some earrings and leaves J alone with a plate of Nachos. He should move on, she's not that great. She'll probably burn the house down at some point.
When we pop back into the bar, Deran offers to help tend the bar and we meet a surprise patron...Adrian! You'll likely recall that Adrian is Deran's former lover, who left him after being physically beaten a few times because Deran wouldn't admit to people that he's gay. Which, the feelings are completely understandable, that he can finally be free. Smurf also seems to give knowing glance at him as soon as he says it.ief moment before being interrupted by Smurf inciting the other patrons to chat "speech, speech, speech." We finish with Adrian for the week, but I'm sure he'll be back, and I'm sure we'll see a more self-aware Deran, especially after this next event. Deran struggles with giving a good speech, so Smurf takes over and talks about a bunch of his shortcomings masked as an anecdote, which obviously upsets Deran. When she goes outside to check on him, it happens. He flat out says "I'm gay" and we all breathe a sigh of relief that he can finally be free. Smurf also seems to give knowing glance at him as soon as he says it. Then he observes that she wants to know that all of her boys kind of want to have sex with her in a weird way, and that because he's no longer an option and Baz isn't her real son she'll have to try to move on to Pope or Craig. He accuses her of never loving them and only thinking of herself, then storms away. He's earned a good storm away.
After taking a quick moment to watch Pope be the father that Baz isn't and sit outside her door in case she has a nightmare, we hop back over to the bar after closing. Deran doesn't mind Nicky being here now, and Craig and Deran talk about Deran's reveal to Smurf. Craig reassures him that Smurf is jealous of everything Deran has built with this bar, then the two of them (and Nicky for some reason) spend some quality time as they start to decorate the bar with broken surf boards.
Animal Instincts
I've yet to see an episode of this show that I have not enjoyed, and it's not because every episode is extremely eventful. Event-wise, not too many things happened this episode. The episode was really a lot about character development, and it's always nice to see a solid hour dedicated to engaging character developments. First and foremost, Deran got to experience true success as he opened his bar to the public for the first time, which also led to him finally revealing to Smurf that he's gay. We also really see him trying to do things the right way. Craig delivers him an entire stolen truck full of of kegs, and he refuses to accept them. Go Deran! Pope and Amy had their first kiss, and I think we know for sure now that Pope actually has feelings for this woman. His eyes closing after being open for the beginning of the kiss was just adorable. There was so much emotion in that small action. We also got to watch Baz begin to come to terms with the person he is currently, at least in terms of his criminal side. So far, no progress on the father front for him. We got to watch as Smurf became paranoid that Javi is coming for her, which I'm excited to see more of in future episodes. J got to experience the excitement of being trusted to keep Smurf's books in check, and also got to rediscover some partially unearthed feelings for his old Girlfriend, Nicky. Even Nicky had some nice character development, showing more vulnerability than we're used to seeing. The only character who arguably had no development was Craig, who simply did some drugs, flirted, and had sex. Normal Craig things. This was certainly another solid episode of the series, and it brought of lot of these characters to some new avenues they'll have to explore as the season progresses.
Favorite Sights
Pope's first kiss with Amy!!
Our surprise visit from Adrian.
J's half-assed microwave nachos. Seriously, they just had cheese. Where's the other stuff?
Deran finally coming out!!
And another episode is gone! How did you feel about our characters? Did you enjoy the character moments as much as I did? And you must tell me what you thought of Pope's not purple shirt. Sound off in the comments below!
